


Beaks

by rabu (hameru)



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic, Vomiting, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-19
Updated: 2015-03-19
Packaged: 2018-03-18 11:53:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3568649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hameru/pseuds/rabu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Slaine is glassy-eyed and his steps are wobbly. Crimson flush stands out in his otherwise pasty face as snot runs freely down one nostril, and there is something drying on the collar of his uniform that looks suspiciously like vomit. He's obviously ill and as though sensing Saazbaum's deduction, he teeters on the spot and pitches toward the floor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beaks

**Author's Note:**

> takes place during the 19 month time skip.

When Slaine does not show up for his duties, Saazbaum assumes he's gone to see the princess and checks her room. There's no Slaine, but there is Eddelrittuo, her small fingers pressed to glass, head bowed as though she's praying. The princess is no different than she was yesterday, or the day before that, or the week before, or the month before, suspended lifelessly, her washed-out blonde hair spreading around her like a corona.

She seems even less like a person now.

"Count Saazbaum?" Eddelrittuo turns her head.

"Sorry to interrupt. Have you seen Slaine?"

"Not since yesterday."

"I see. Carry on with your visit and return promptly to Princess Lemrina when you're finished."

"Yes, Milord Count." Eddelrittuo dips her head and turns back to the tank.

Saazbaum hopes he hasn't run into trouble with any of the other knights. Most of them begrudgingly tolerate Slaine's presence with the knowledge that they will receive severe repercussions if they don't, but he wouldn't put it past a few to push their luck. He starts heading toward Slaine's quarters, only to encounter him in the corridor.

"Sorry I'm late," Slaine mumbles and it doesn't even take a second glance for Saazbaum to know something's wrong.

Slaine is glassy-eyed and his steps are wobbly. Crimson flush stands out in his otherwise pasty face as snot runs freely down one nostril, and there is something drying on the collar of his uniform that looks suspiciously like vomit. He's obviously ill and as though sensing Saazbaum's deduction, he teeters on the spot and pitches toward the floor.

Saazbaum dives to catch him and he burns in his arms like hot coals.

"Sorry..." Slaine tenses like he's going to try to get to his feet, but then he breaks into a coughing fit. Slaine is by no means a small young man, he has a lithe, dense musculature to him and he's grown taller in the past two years, but the harsh, wet sounds ripping out of his throat sound much too heavy for his chest to handle.

"You're ill," he states, not unkindly.

"It's not serious," rasps Slaine, pathetically sniffling up the stream leaking from his nose and holding onto Saazbaum's arms for support as he finds his feet.

"It's serious enough that I'm declaring you off duty."

Slaine lets go and stumbles back a few steps, swaying in his stance but at least able to maintain it. He's frowning, but he seems a bit more dazed than displeased. He looks up like something's floated overhead and then back to Saazbaum.

"Oh...Thank you, Milord Count." He dips his head and then turns around, tottering back toward his room.

Seeing as Slaine's still coherent enough to go in the right direction, Saazbaum almost leaves him to it, but then he abruptly doubles over and spews a slurry mess all over the chrome floor. His legs buckle and falls on his knees, snapping forward with a terrible retching sound and adding to the puddle. He sputters and coughs, and it sets him off into another bad fit.

Saazbaum strides forward and drops beside him, placing a hand on his shivering back and waiting for the coughing to pass.

"Are you going to be sick again?"

Slaine blinks slowly and shakes his head.

"Do you want to go to the infirmary or back to your room?"

The hoarse mumble he gets in response is unintelligible, but sounds more like the latter than the former so Saazbaum picks him up and carries him to his quarters. Slaine coughs along the way and mumbles more unintelligible things that might be protest, but he doesn't squirm and it's an easy enough job. Saazbaum gingerly lays the boy on his bed and smooths his bangs back, pressing a hand to his forehead.

Slaine's fever sizzles against his palm and he decides leaving him alone probably isn't a good idea.

"Did you check on Princess Asseylum today?" Slaine asks weakly, squinting up at him.

"I did. There's no change in her condition."

Slaine closes his eyes. His hands roam toward his middle and clutch carefully.

Saazbaum pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes the mucus from his nose, the dribble of remains from his mouth. "I'll get you some water."

  
He leaves the handkerchief on the nightstand in case Slaine needs it and moves to the small kitchenette nook, filling a glass. But when he turns back, Slaine is falling over himself to get off the bed and scrambling to the bathroom.

He doesn't even have time to shut the door so Saazbaum gets an un-muffled earful of the gagging and the voluminous splashes of vomit hitting toilet water. It continues on for five, ten minutes or so. When it finally ceases, he goes to see if Slaine needs help.

The boy's gripping the porcelain lid like a life preserver, puffy eyes red and streaming tears, snot running from his nose in a sticky waterfall, slops of orangish puke clinging to his chin. He's trembling like a feather in a windstorm and the sour reek of vomit in the air is twinged with another thick, foul scent that, coupled with the brown stain on the seat of Slaine's pants, lets him know it's come out both ways.

"Do you need help?" he asks softly.

Slaine looks to him, blinking blearily. "Shouldn't you be overseeing missions and giving orders?"

"As incompetent as the Orbital Knights can be, I'm sure they can function for one day without relying on me. At any rate, I'll be contacted if anything goes wrong." With that, he takes Slaine's shoulders and straightens him up- and he's going to have to do something about that temperature because still, even through his uniform he's hot to the touch. He unbuttons his coat and slips it off and Slaine complies with his hand on the towel rack for support, too sick to resist even if he wanted to.

Saazbaum leaves the undershirt, both because Slaine's already shivering with chills and because he knows Slaine doesn't exactly like people seeing his scars. He gets a towel from under the sink and wets it in lukewarm water before he pulls Slaine's pants down. The boy flinches, either out of embarrassment or the discomfort of cold air on his skin. Saazbaum gently scrubs the filthy custard from his flesh and wipes him dry with another towel. It's a bit difficult and it doesn't help that Slaine is coughing the entire time, but he manages.

"Thank you," he croaks, fixing Saazbaum with a faraway look.

Saazbaum gives a nod. "Now, do you think you're done in here?"

Slaine blinks slowly. "I don't think there's anything left inside to come out..."

Saazbaum briefly debates on helping him back to bed or taking him back to bed and settles on the latter. Slaine is quaking all over, knees knocking together. With the height different carrying him is altogether easier then supporting him anyway. He scoops him up, and once again Slaine doesn't resist. He's so out of it perhaps he's only vaguely aware of what's going on. He only sags limply in Saazbaum's arms, fingers over his mouth in a feeble gesture to stifle his coughing fit.

Saazbaum tucks him into bed and retreats back to the bathroom to get a cloth. He rinses it in cold water and tenderly smooths it to Slaine's forehead, hoping to allay the inexhaustible burn. Slaine's only response is a flutter of the eyelids. It seems he's falling asleep and that's probably a good thing.

"I'm staying with you until your fever breaks. If it doesn't, I'll call for a doctor."

"Count Saazbaum?" Slaine squints at him uncertainly.

"Yes?"

"Seagulls can get sick."

He's delirious.

"They can," Saazbaum agrees.

"I really wanted to show her real ones."

"I know."

"She looked so excited." His eyes were already hazy and now they're misting over.

Saazbaum sighs and pats his head. "You can show them to her later. Rest now."

Slaine nods and lets his eyes close. Saazbaum pulls up a chair and spends the afternoon reading, supposing he should enjoy the unexpected day off. Slaine rests fitfully, crying out for his father and Asseylum in his sleep, rolling over and leaving sweat stains in the sheets. Saazbaum has been wondering if Slaine was planning on extracting revenge on him, and it's things like this that help him ascertain a complacency that he won't because they're not here and he is, and Slaine doesn't have any other allies left.

Maybe boosting that complacency is why he's so adamant on changing that cloth, wiping that runny nose, and making sure Slaine gets in at least a sip of water when he wakes up coughing; but he can't deny the genuine sense of relief he feels when night rolls around and Slaine sits up by himself, gaze clear.

 

**Author's Note:**

> because i figure there had to be some attachment between the only two characters with depth in this anime.


End file.
